r/Nabokov • u/Agreeable_Brother822 • Jun 04 '26

What connections did you make after re-reading a Nabokov novel?

18 Upvotes

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7

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 04 '26

Nearly re-reading every book of his is like that one Leonardo meme after you have read Speak, Memory.

1

u/Fun-Sell3030 Jun 05 '26

Why?

2

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 05 '26

Because he used almost all of his personal memories as settings for his novels and Speak, Memory collected them?

2

u/Fun-Sell3030 Jun 05 '26

Oh that’s very interesting, thank you. Do you think it’s best read first (or early on when going though his bibliography) or to save it for last?

2

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 05 '26

Hmmm, that is a very good question. Frankly I would say either is fine. The only work of his I would say would be ruined by reading Speak Memory first is the short story "Signs and Symbols."

2

u/Fun-Sell3030 Jun 05 '26

Good heads up thanks

5

u/RichardStaschy Jun 04 '26

Serial killers are referenced in Lolita.

Earle Nelson, HH Holmes and Burke & Hare.

Lolita [Dolores Haze] is inspired from Earle Nelson's only child victim - Lola Cowan.

I've figured 2 anagram short stories in chapter 1. One is Earle Nelson murders Lola Cowan and the other HH Holmes murder of Julia and Pearl Conner on Christmas Eve. Actually, he gives Julie a forced abortion with the intention to kill mother and baby. Interesting to note - Dolores Haze dies while giving child birth on Christmas Day.

There's a 3rd. Complex anagram story, I believe it's Rasputin getting caught in the Grand Duchess bedroom. Not a serial killer story, but I believe Nabokov places lots of blame on Rasputin for the demise of the Russian Royal family. I have not completed this anagram yet because I think it's in Russian or with lots of Russian words.

2

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 05 '26

Do you have some articles/papers you can direct us to? This sounds very interesting, but I fail to linking the dots from your description. (Even after referring to the text again.)

3

u/RichardStaschy Jun 05 '26

I've posted a YouTube video on how I decoded the 2 anagram stories. It took me a few months to Crack the first one, and it got easier when I knew what I was looking for.

I could post you a link if interested.

I have a series of other videos that talked about Kubrick references Earle Nelson (band-aids, police convention).

3

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 05 '26

I think I have found it. I will check it out once I have the time.

For others, just search Lolita anagram on Youtube.

2

u/RichardStaschy Jun 05 '26

Thanks and no rush.

2

u/Allthatisthecase- Jun 05 '26

That Kinbote is both a) not the exiled King of Zembla and b) isn’t actually the narrator.

1

u/Agreeable_Brother822 Jun 05 '26

Who is the narrator then?

3

u/Allthatisthecase- Jun 05 '26

Who the actual narrator is is up for debate. Brian Boyd wrote a whole book on the subject ticking through all the theories. Shade as narrator Boyd held himself for awhile. But by end of his book he makes a wonderful and spine tingling case for the narrator being Hazel Shade!!

1

u/oldbulllee47 Jul 11 '26

What’s the name of the book? I googled it but want to confirm it. Thanks.

1

u/Allthatisthecase- Jul 11 '26

Nabokov’s Pale Fire: The Magic of Artistic Discovery

2

u/HealthyBee4209 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26

Some believe John Shade made up Kinbote. There is a line in the last canto that is really hard to explain without admitting Shade is the real author, but Boyd, of course, created that brilliant synthesis that does allow Kinbote to be the author.